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Bangkok Journal
Excitement is buzzing in Bangkok's toxic air, and at every turn expectation is running sky-high. Yet despite all the positive developments of the past five years, which have done much to resuscitate the Thai movie industry after the gloom of the Eighties, it must be said that the prospect of newfound glory is still a long way off.
Siamese cinema remains in a critical limbo. It's searching for the right path-- chasing leads, folding back on itself, and setting out once again to test new formulas-looking to secure loyal audiences and define its place in the burgeoning Asian film market. The recent succession of box-office record-breaking movies-from Nonzee Nimibutr's 2499 Antaparn Krong Muang (Dang Bireley and Young Gangsters, 97) and his follow-up, Nang Nak (99), to the historical pomp of last year's Suriyothai by Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol-seem like solid proof of the industry's spectacular revival. Moreover, the unlikely gay-volleyball-players phenomenon Iron Ladies (Satree Lex, 00), the hard-nosed patriotism of Bang Rajan (00), and the zany Hollywood-- wannabe Killer Tattoo (Mue Puen Loke Pra Chan, 01) all contributed to the industry's general sense of euphoria.
The number of films being produced is climbing to a healthy level, too. For most of the past 20 years only a dozen films were produced each year, virtually all of them forgettably feeble teen flicks. Last year the number rose to 15, and this year more than 20 films are expected (still not many, of course, considering that in the heyday of the Seventies, 200 movies were churned out annually before the profusion of Tv, videocassettes, and American imports drained audiences away).
Yet in the thick of this enthusiasm there's a vague sense of uncertainty; one can't help but suspect that some directors are simply cashing in on the wave of success, with no concern for how to sustain the momentum of the industry's recovery. As of July, ten Thai movies have been released this year, and none of them has so much as stirred a leaf. The local audience's confidence is still shaky. Then there's Thai filmmakers' incurable tendency to jump on the bandwagon and imitate their predecessors' recipes for success.
Former commercials director Nonzee Nimibutr is credited as the prime mover responsible for the revival of...